Ron Paul says he would never support Donald Trump

Ron Paul appeared on CNBC on Wednesday after Donald Trump’s Nevada Caucus victory, where he told “Squawk Box” viewers that he could never support the current Republican frontrunner.

Libertarian icon Paul said he believes Trump is tapping into voters’ fears, similar to what he says Bernie Sanders is doing on the Democratic side.

Paul said of both Trump and Sanders, “The unfortunate thing is, I don’t hear any answers. I hear the ability of politicians to catalyze worries, fears, and concerns.”

“They build on this,” Paul said.

Added Paul, “A lot of people are quite worried about Trump, because Trump is tapping into a minority that is annoyed, upset, and angry. But he has no solutions whatsoever.”

“In some ways, Trump is worse than the establishment,” said Paul. “He says he loves torture! Trump is very conventional. He has nothing new when it comes to serious ideas.”

Paul said he opposes Trump’s tendency to scapegoat various groups, erroneously blaming Mexicans, Muslims, or the Chinese for America’s problems. Sanders plays to fears in a similar way when he blames billionaires and Wall Street to drum up support for bigger government.

These comments align with Paul’s earlier critiques of Trump. Last summer, Paul called Trump a “dangerous authoritarian.”

Paul has also long expressed concern with Trump’s anti-market policies, decrying his desire to institute new taxes on imported goods as a ludicrous policy that will make the economic circumstances of working class Americans worse than they are now.

Since his son Sen. Rand Paul has dropped out of the presidential race, Ron Paul has not made any endorsements, and expressed his disappointment in the remaining Republican candidates.